Why Does My Eyelid Turn Out?
Ectropion
Be Eye Wise and understand that your eyelids are an essential part of maintaining proper eye health. But sometimes your eyelid doesn’t function properly. Ectropion is a condition where the lower eyelid is turned outward.
Symptoms of ectropion can be:
- Tearing.
- Mattering of the lashes.
- Irritation.
- Redness of the lower lid.
Causes of ectropion can be:
- Age (excessively limp lower eyelid muscles)
- Stroke or Bell’s Palsy (partial or complete paralysis of facial muscles)
- Scarring (caused by trauma-related scarring or skin diseases with a tightening of the skin)
Treating ectropion:
The exact treatment required will depend on the type of ectropion you are experiencing. Age-related and paralytic ectropion is treated by tightening the lower lid via a surgical procedure. This is performed as a same-day surgery with light sedation and local anesthesia. Sometimes, a cheek lift is needed to recruit extra skin in addition to tightening the lower eyelid.
Entropion
Be Eye Wise and understand that caring for your eyelids will go a long way in caring for your eyesight. Entropion is a condition where the lower eyelid is turned inwards.
Symptoms of entropion can be:
- Chronic redness
- Irritation or ocular pain
- Tearing
- Foreign body sensation
- Loss of vision.
Causes of entropion can be:
- Age (lower eyelid laxity)
- Ocular Surface Scarring
Treating entropion:
Treatment for entropion usually involves same-day surgery using light sedation and local anesthesia. The surgical approach depends on the cause of the entropion and may involve more complex procedures.
To learn all you can about ectropion and entropion, please schedule an appointment with Northwest Eye eyelid surgeon Dr. Nicholas Schmitt. Because the more you know, the better you see.
